May 2008

This is the unfinished key block for Light, the second in my current stray dog series (Peace, Light, Love). I am carving the key blocks for this series in cherry. I like working in cherry because it is solid wood rather than plywood and it is less apt to chip. It also has a beautiful, almost waxy surface. The downside is that cherry is very hard wood compared to shina, so carving takes at least three times longer and makes my arm sore. This block is a reworking of white paws. Because the image takes up most of the piece of wood, I am going to have to get creative when I carve the kento. My plan is to place another piece of wood alongside this one and carve the kento across the bottom of both pieces and along the side of the additional piece.

I love bookmarks. Maybe it’s because I am a librarian. Anyway, when I recently bought something on Etsy I got this fun, cool, little, free-gift bookmark that I treasure almost as much as the item I bought. So I decided to make some promotional bookmarks myself to give away with items that I sell on Etsy. I combined this idea with Annie Bissett’s great idea of recycling imperfect prints into business cards. I printed out my Etsy web address on a label, stuck it to the back of a print and cut it out with one of those diecutting craft tools. Then punched a hole in the top and threaded a ribbon through. Perhaps I will no longer feel so bad when one of my prints doesn’t come out just so.